Scottish Executive

Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give consideration to standardisation of the Easter school holidays across Scotland to avoid annual variance in the length of the summer term given the adverse impact current arrangements may have on pupils from different year groups and local authorities sitting examinations.

Mr Jack McConnell: Following representations received about different dates set in different areas, officials wrote to authorities in February last year to ask how holidays were currently co-ordinated between authorities and what could be done to improve liaison in the future. In response, most authorities indicated that they held discussions with their neighbours with a view to securing a consistent approach although complete consistency could not always be achieved because of local circumstances and local holidays. I am considering the detailed responses further.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14593 by Ross Finnie on 11 April 2001, what progress has been made in establishing a basis for rehefting sheep on farms where hefted flocks have been culled.

Ross Finnie: In the first instance it will be for the farmer himself to decide how to restock his farm. I recognise that to re-establish sheep on the hill will take time and may well require additional shepherding and fencing.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14593 by Ross Finnie on 11 April 2001, what importance it attaches to the continuance of hefted sheep flocks in Dumfries and Galloway.

Ross Finnie: I am anxious to preserve as many sheep as possible in Dumfries and Galloway, including hefted flocks. However, flocks within 3km of a foot-and-mouth disease infected farm will be culled in order to help control and thus eradicate this disease.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in selecting tenants’ representatives to serve on the board of Glasgow Housing Association.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a vote of no confidence in a tenants’ representative member of the board of Glasgow Housing Association by that individual’s tenants’ association ensures that person’s exclusion from the board and replacement by another tenants’ representative.

Ms Margaret Curran: That is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association in line with the provisions of its constitution.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Glasgow City Council staff it expects to transfer to the Glasgow Housing Association in the event of stock transfer, broken down by current department.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15312 on 9 May 2001.

Local Government Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9252 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, what financial provision will be made for local authorities for the impact of the abolition of advance corporation tax credit for pension funds in 2002-03.

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9252 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, what provision has been made in the financial settlement for each local authority for 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 to offset the cost of the abolition of advance corporation tax credit for pension funds.

Angus MacKay: The sum of £38.5 million which was made available to local authorities in 2000-01 and 2001-02 for the abolition of Advance Corporation Tax credits has been retained in the local government settlement for 2002-03. Additional provision has also been made for general pay and price inflation.

  It is not possible to provide a breakdown by local authority, as there was no separate distribution. The provision was included in the local government finance settlement totals and distributed by the agreed client group methodology.

Local Government Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9252 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, whether it will publish the actuarial estimates made by local authorities regarding the impact of abolition of advance corporation tax credits.

Angus MacKay: The provision of £27 million made available to local authorities in 1999-2000 for the abolition of Advance Corporation Tax credits matched with COSLA’s estimates of the additional costs based on returns from local authorities. It is a matter for individual authorities whether they wish to publish the actuarial estimates.

Planning

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to transfer to local authorities the functions relating to planning which are currently carried out by the Crown Estate Commission.

Lewis Macdonald: The primary legislation needed to implement this change will be introduced as soon as an appropriate opportunity arises in the legislative programme. Any legislative proposals will need to take account of the outcome of the Executive’s current aquaculture review which is expected to report around the end of this year.

Prison Service

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Scottish Prison Service’s Estates Review will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is not possible to give a date at this stage. Priority is being given to completion of the independent financial assessment of the review. Unfortunately this exercise is taking longer than originally hoped but the issues are complex and such a crucial issue as the future of the Scottish Prison Service estate should not be rushed.

Rail Network

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics it holds on acts of vandalism on railway lines in Lanarkshire in the last year, in particular, those on the Edinburgh/Shotts/Glasgow line and the Motherwell/Mossend South/Coatbridge line.

Sarah Boyack: Safety and security on the railway is a reserved matter. The prevention of vandalism and trespassing on the railway is the responsibility of the railway industry and the British Transport Police (BTP).

  The Scottish Executive holds no statistics on acts of vandalism on railway lines in Scotland. The British Transport Police publishes an annual report which contains summary statistics on acts of vandalism. The 1999-2000 report is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Roads

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the M74 northern extension between Parkhead and the Kingston Bridge and how this will be financed.

Sarah Boyack: The current estimated project cost for the M74 from Fullarton Interchange on the existing M74 to the M8 west of Kingston Interchange is £245 million at May 2000 prices. This cost excludes design costs and VAT, if applicable.

  The project costs have been allocated in the following amounts

  


Scottish Ministers 
  

£214 million 
  



Glasgow City Council 
  

£21.8 million 
  



South Lanarkshire Council 
  

£4.0 million 
  



Renfrewshire Council 
  

£2.2 million 
  



Other public/private sector funding 
  

£3.0 million

Roads

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated timetable is from commencement to completion of construction of the M74 northern extension.

Sarah Boyack: I expect the M74 project to be completed in 2008.

Roads

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any requirements will be placed on local authorities to ensure that the M74 northern extension does not become congested with commuter traffic, and, if so, what these requirements will be.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive and its partners, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Councils, are currently working together with Strathclyde Passenger Transport, in the Executive’s Central Scotland Transport Corridor Study, and through the Public Transport Fund and other funding mechanisms. They plan to deliver public transport improvements in the M74 corridor to provide a genuine choice for transport users. In particular the Cathcart Road and Glasgow Road routes will be developed as corridors for public transport priority.

Roads

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution the M74 northern extension will make to its objectives of reducing road usage and improving public transport.

Sarah Boyack: From the traffic analysis undertaken to date it is expected the M74 scheme will achieve a significant reduction in traffic flows on a number of busy parallel local roads over a wide area within Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. The contribution that public transport can make to reducing car usage will be fully explored in the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies. I have already undertaken to Parliament that the Executive will implement the decisions flowing from this study.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs will next make a report to the Parliament on the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s progress in delivering the Diet of examinations for 2001.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have today written to the Convener of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee enclosing the Executive’s third report on the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s progress towards Diet 2001. Copies will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the recruitment of a new Chief Executive of VisitScotland, whether a limit will be set for this expenditure on this and which budget will cover the cost of the recruitment.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15295 on 8 May 2001. VisitScotland will cover the cost of the recruitment.